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Although legal marijuana continues to spread across the great American landscape, the federal government still maintains a strict no-tolerance pot policy for members of the US military. However, with the recent passing of initiatives to legalize weed in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington DC, the commanding forces behind our national defense has been forced to reiterate to its soldiers that the consumption of cannabis could result in court martial.

To ensure the military does not employ the use of stoned soldiers, the federal government mandates that all service members submit to regular drug testing. Yet, documents obtained by The Washington Post through the Freedom of Information Act indicates that many troops could be high as hell and no one would ever know because not every solider is being tested for weed.

At Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, where the recreational marijuana industry is in full swing, around 25% of the soldiers were not tested for pot in 2014, according to the Post. Yet, unfortunately, the troops stationed in Fort Carson, Colorado did not receive the same leniency. Records show that all 26,000 men and women on active duty were tested for marijuana this year.

While the data reveals fewer soldiers are getting busted for pot than in years past, there is nothing in the documentation to determine just how frequently these drug tests occur. Yet, apparently it does not matter, as Army officials claim that just knowing the possibility exists for a drug screen is enough to keep the majority of the armed forces pissing weed free.

“The results of our continued drug testing demonstrate the commitment soldiers have to the Army profession, regardless of a state’s legalization of marijuana,”

“With 98% of the Army population testing negative for illicit drugs, soldiers demonstrate their ability to take responsibility for themselves, reinforcing the fact that our drug testing program is working.”

It is for this reason that US military officials say there are no plans to ramp up the drug testing polices in legal marijuana states.

Do yoh think the U.S. Army Officials should rmp up the drug testing? Leave a comment above..

Shannon Smothers-Wansley joined Mississippi’s latest marijuana legalization push for her grandmother, who passed away in September 2011 after battling dementia, which took away her appetite.

“If she had access to something with cannabis in it, she would not have died of starvation,”

Smothers-Wansley told the Jackson Free Press.

The potential of cannabis as an appetite stimulant is among the key arguments from proponents of rolling back legal restrictions for marijuana for its medicinal purposes.

However, opponents of legalizing, or decriminalizing, weed point to the fact that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not recognize cannabis or its extracts as a medicine. And despite the growing number of states and cities that have decided to start looking the other way when it comes to small amounts of recreational marijuana, the federal government continues to define marijuana as a Schedule-1 drug on the same level as heroin and cocaine.

But advocates in the Magnolia State hope that the momentum toward legalization, which is bolstered by the presence of the nation’s medical marijuana farm at Ole Miss, has made Mississippi more 420 friendly.

Last week, organizers of a statewide ballot initiative to legal and decriminalize, submitted language for the measure with the Mississippi secretary of state.

The proposal would end the prohibition on cannabis and fully legalize the use and taxation of marijuana for adults over age 21. Recreational users could have nine or fewer marijuana plants for their personal use. The state would classify anyone with more than nine plants as a cannabis farmer, required to pay an annual $25 fee to the local municipal or county. Prospective dispensers would have to pay $1,000 for a special license. Additionally, a state sales tax of 7 percent would be charged on all sales with the exception of medical marijuana and industrial hemp.

Three states, one district, and two cities will vote on various aspects of the nation’s drug laws on Tuesday but the most crucial marijuana decision being weighed in the coming days will be made by just one person. U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller could be about to start a legal revolution.

After a five-day hearing in California, she is considering the validity of the science surrounding pot’s classification as one of the most dangerous drugs in the world.

In May, she became the first judge in decades to agree to hear evidence relating to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s classification of marijuana which puts it in the same category as heroin and meth. Over the next few weeks, Mueller will comb through hundreds of pages of witness testimony, scientific research, and public health policy to determine whether the Schedule-1 Substance classification of marijuana is unconstitutional.

Her ruling will only apply in the specific case she is hearing, but some argue that a first judicial ruling against the legality of the DEA’s current drug classifications would invite a flood of similar legal challenges all over the country.

The case in question concerns six men who were charged with growing marijuana on national forest land. It dates back to three police raids in the Northern California town of Hayfork on October 3, 2011 conducted by two local narcotic task forces in tandem with the United State Forest Service (USFS) and California Highway Patrol (CHP). They confirmed what the agents had been suspecting for years: there was a massive grow operation hidden in the depths of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.

Over the course of several days, police arrested 15 suspects and uncovered more than 500 marijuana plants, 1,000 pounds of processed cannabis, eight firearms, and more than $35,000 in cash.Brian Pickard and Bryan Schweder, the two owners of the land, were pinpointed as the leaders of the operation, according to witness testimony and law enforcement officers.

Facing a variety of drug charges ranging from possession of marijuana to cultivation, the men face upwards of 10-15 years in prison. Nothing especially unusual thus far, but then the defense counsel argued that such tough legal sanctions should never have applied to marijuana in the first place.

Much to everyone’s surprise, Mueller agreed to grant an evidentiary hearing on marijuana’s classification.

Her decision was based on a tiny footnote written by U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Stevens in 2005. In the medical marijuana case of Gonzalez v. Raich, he wrote:

“We acknowledge that evidence proffered by respondents in this case regarding the effective medical uses for marijuana, if found credible after trial, would cast serious doubt on the accuracy of the findings that require marijuana to be listed in Schedule I,”

it reads.

“Respondents’ submission, if accepted, would place all homegrown medical substances beyond the reach of Congress’ regulatory jurisdiction.”

Do you think it should be labeled a schedule-1 substance? Leave a comment above.

The crop is still an infant food industry in North America, after being legalized and adequately regulated in the late-1990s. However, it is appearing in an increasing number of human food and nutritional products.

Uduslivaia said hemp is well-positioned to grow.

Hemp protein, pea protein and brown rice protein have found a growing demand in the protein products area, which was once dominated by men and weight lifters. The revival of protein as a positive food element has allowed its market to expand beyond muscle-focused men to include young, health-conscious women.

Many women are keen to consume non-meat and non-dairy protein, so “alternative proteins” such as hemp are being included in more products.

“We … see a move away from milk-based protein,”

said Uduslivaia.

“Whey protein used to be the king of proteins, but this is no longer necessarily the case.”

Hemp is also moving into the dietary supplement and functional food markets because of its heart-healthy reputation and claims.

Hemp can claim heart-healthy properties because of its omega oil content, but Uduslivaia said an interesting development is the growing success of products that don’t push a particular benefit, instead presenting themselves as generally healthy.

The cross-functional benefits are often more attractive to consumers than a single-function approach.

Functional food sales have suffered in the last few years in North America, stagnating and even falling in some areas after strong growth in earlier years.

However, dietary supplements have been booming.

“It’s the dietary supplements that are seeing significant growth and are outpacing, in terms of growth, foods,”

said Uduslivaia.

Hemp is a small crop and has only a small share of the market, but Uduslivaia said it is on the right side of almost every trend. Alternative protein, non-animal, generally healthy products are all growing in popularity and demand.

Gone are the days of leading our children to believe that marijuana is as useless and harmful as heroin or crystal meth. Nowhere will that be more apparent than at this year’s McDonald’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Chicago.Good Intentions Medical Marijuana Services will be the first legal marijuana related business to join the ranks of well-known, established businesses in the parade’s 80 year history.

“It’s time to give up on the argument that marijuana has no known medical value”

explained Good Intentions founder and CEO, Tammy Jacobi.

“Now is the time to educate our children that there are many substances people can use to treat their debilitating conditions and medical marijuana is one of them”

With an emphasis on education and advocacy, Good Intentions has become a trusted name in medical marijuana services in Illinois and in Michigan. Good Intentions services include physician coordination and referrals, fingerprint background checks, official state forms assistance and verification of state required documentation. Jacobi added

“I am profoundly moved that our company continues to make a difference in patient’s lives. We’re also very proud of The State of Illinois for the hard work and dedication they’ve contributed in order to bring this program to life.”

Good Intentions Thanksgiving Day Parade float will emphasize the company’s history of “growing” with Illinois through the process of licensing medical marijuana patients. The float will feature a 12 foot banner with the theme “Growing With Illinois” and will be complete with a garden of flowers in bloom. According to Jacobi,

“just as plants grow and flower, the company has blossomed into an organization that provides hope for the most seriously ill citizens of Illinois. And when it comes to our children, let us not forget the shrewdness of Thomas Jefferson -Honesty is the first chapter of the book of wisdom.”

Apparently, it was for a marijuana farmer in Washington state. “I never thought it’d be a problem to give money away,” said marijuana farmer Randy Williams, the owner of Fireweed Farm, just north of Prosser, Washington. A source claimed school officials bluntly turned down the $14,000 donation from the marijuana farmer, stating they were “taking a stand” against youth marijuana use.

“We’re not taking it. End of story,”

said Ray Tolcacher, Prosser School District superintendent.

“That’s a mistake on their end because they’re not helping anything,”

Williams said after visiting the school district office a few weeks ago to try to donate the money. Tolcacher, who was away at the time, called the would-be donor on the telephone on Monday to turn down the money.
Williams said he will donate to the Boys & Girls Club of Benton and Franklin Counties.

Williams, one of the few legally licensed marijuana farmers in Yakima Valley, promised at a first-ever marijuana auction November 15 at his farm to donate the proceeds of one “low-grade” lot to local schools. The weed brought in about $13,500; Williams kicked in the difference to make it an even $14K.

Do you think the school was wrong in declining the donation? Leave a comment with your thoughts.

An extremely interesting and unique story in the States caught my attention and must be shared. Billboard adverts launched this week by the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) in Seattle and Denver that encourage parents to keep marijuana out of reach of children. The ads are part of a broad public educational campaign urging adults to “consume responsibly” in states where marijuana has been legalized.

The billboards feature a small child looking at what could be a glass of grape or ‘purple drank’ those of familiar with Dave Chappell and a few cookies that could or could not be infused with marijuana. The billboard reads, “Some juices and cookies are not meant for kids,” and urges them to, “Keep ‘adult snacks’ locked up and out of reach.”

MPP spokesperson Mason Tvert was accompanied at the Monday unveiling of the billboard by Jane West, a marijuana consumer and mother of two small children, who serves as director of Women Grow, a national organization dedicated to helping women influence and succeed in the cannabis industry.

West stated, “We need to treat marijuana like any other product that is legal for adults and not meant for children, a marijuana-infused cookie might look like a regular cookie to my four-year-old, just as a glass of wine might look just like grape juice. Whether it’s marijuana, alcohol, or household cleaning products, it’s our job as parents to keep them locked up and out of reach.”

Do you think these ads are necessary for the public to see? Leave a comment to share your thoughts..